page_title: Hurricane Fabian
section_title: Bermuda
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Fabian / Impact / Bermuda
caption_attribution_description: English: Bermuda International Airport, damage from Hurricane Fabian
context_page_description: Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde hurricane that hit Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tropical wave in the tropical Atlantic Ocean on August 25. It moved west-northwestward under the influence of the subtropical ridge to its north, and steadily strengthened in an area of warm water temperatures and light wind shear. The hurricane attained a peak intensity of 145 mph on September 1, and it slowly weakened as it turned northward. On September 5, Fabian made a direct hit on Bermuda with wind speeds of over 120 mph. After passing the island, the hurricane turned to the northeast, and became extratropical on September 8, before dissipating two days later.
  Fabian was the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda since Hurricane Arlene in 1963. It was both the most damaging and the first hurricane to cause a death on the island since 1926. The hurricane's powerful winds resulted in moderate damage and destroyed roofs throughout the island.
context_section_description: Hurricane Fabian struck Bermuda on Friday, 5 September 2003, with sustained winds having reached 39 mph (63 km/h) by 0800, 74 mph (119 km/h) by 1400, and 150 mph (240 km/h) by 1755. The eye did not pass directly over the archipelago, instead passing to the west (placing Bermuda in the North-East quarter where the winds were particularly powerful) with the eye wall dragging over Bermuda for three hours. This prolonged the damaging winds the island was subjected to. The storm produced a 10-minute average wind speed of 120 mph (195 km/h), while a peak wind gust of 164 mph (264 km/h) occurred at Bermuda Harbour Radio. The strongest of the winds lasted approximately three to four hours, and while the eastern portion of the eyewall moved over the island, winds decreased to 60 mph (95 km/h). Large waves battered the southern portion of the island for several days, reaching heights of 25 to 35 feet (7 to 10 m) at the worst of the hurricane, and upon passing the island, the hurricane produced a storm surge exceeding 11 feet (3 m) in height. Due to its fast motion, rainfall totals rose to only 1.82 inches (46.2 mm). There were several unofficial reports of tornadoes as well. Strong rip currents from the hurricane persisted for several days prior to Fabian passing the island; two swimmers were caught in the currents and relied on lifeguard assistance to return to shore. As a result, rip tide warnings were posted for the island.
  Strong waves caused extensive damage to the coastline, especially on the southern portion of Bermuda. The strong waves broke a boat from its moorings at Spanish Point. Not wanting to lose the ship, the owner, accompanied with two people, tried to save the vessel. One fell overboard before climbing aboard the boat. The three ventured the vessel through tornadoes and 20-foot (6 m) waves, which dropped several feet of water in the ship; however, ultimately they safely arrived at Hamilton Harbour. Five charter boats capsized from the waves, while several others crashed against reefs. Strong waves collapsed a sea wall in Hamilton, causing traffic jams for one day until it was fixed.
  The winds downed numerous power lines, causing 78% of the island's 32,031 power customers to experience power outages. The strong winds damaged or destroyed the roofs of numerous buildings on Bermuda. One of the areas lightest hit was around a hotel outside of Hamilton, which experienced no power outages or blown out windows, while one of the harder hit areas was Warwick. There, one resident noted, "Too many homes have lost roofs to count". One house was entirely destroyed on Rec View Hill, while an unconfirmed tornado destroyed much of the roof of a house in Devonshire. The hurricane destroyed a restaurant in Southampton and also damaged stands and roofs at sports facilities. Strong winds from the hurricane damaged several landmark buildings, including the House of Assembly and the City Hall, both in Hamilton, and the former military headquarters in St. George's.
  Bermuda International Airport sustained $15 million in damages, primarily to buildings and roadways which were washed away by the storm surge. The runway escaped major damage, however, and the airport re-opened the following day for emergency relief flights. Confronting the damages in the storm's aftermath, Airport General Manager James G. Howes was quoted by the news media as saying, "My heart sank when I first saw the Airport that morning. There was tons of debris everywhere and all the fire alarms and security alarms were going off. There was this din of bells and horns - it was like a war zone". Commercial airline service was suspended for three days due to heavy damage to the Terminal Building, which was flooded with 3 ft (0.91 m) of seawater. The airport's ILS and radar were also damaged.
  The hurricane also affected the Bermuda Weather Service, as 8 ft (2.4 m) waves destroyed recording equipment. The winds severely damaged the island's major hotels, closing five for extended periods to repair damage. One hotel that remained open experienced damage to 25% of its rooms. 
caption: Structural damage was extensive at Bermuda International Airport.
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